Haunted
by dinolove453
Summary: MAJORLY AU, Mondler Chandler visits Ross’ home during a college vacation, and Ross shows him some family photo albums. The photos haunt him, and sets him on a quest that will change his life. ON HIATUS


Haunted

Summary: (MAJORLY AU, Mondler) Chandler visits Ross' home during a college vacation, and Ross shows him some family photo albums. The photos haunt him, and sets him on a quest that will change his life.

Prologue: Life Changing Photos

Chandler grinned as he and Ross went into his room. Roommates and best friends, Chandler had found a life long friend in the dinosaur-obsessed 20-year-old. Chandler was also 20, and next year was their last year in college.

"So, Ross lets look at…" Chandler grabbed a book, covered in dust, from under Ross' bed, "this!"

"Ooh no, no, no," Ross shook his head, "I really don't."

"It's a photo album, right?" Chandler asked, "Looks like you haven't looked at it in… years."

"It's from a tough time," Ross mumbled, so Chandler opened it up anyway.

"Wow, this is your family?" Chandler looked at the group of four.

"When I was 16," Ross mumbled. Chandler was intrigued by the photo. There was his mom and his dad- haven't changed much- and Ross, a little younger, but there was a girl, a beautiful girl a little bit younger than Ross, as well.

"Who was that?"

"My…" Ross looked pained, "um… my little sister. She was 14 in that picture."

"Really?" Chandler was curious, "what happened to her? She looks so happy…"

"Keep looking at pictures." Ross murmured, lying on his bed while refusing to look.

There was another one of the family at Christmas, Monica still happy, nothing really changed in her appearance. Another on a sleepover with tons of girls, apparently Monica's friends, everywhere, Chandler even recognized one of them, her name was Rachel; and others just showing her and Ross and the family having fun. But Monica was in every picture.

Finally, Chandler turned to the back of the photo album. There were two more pictures of Monica at about 16- one of her, arms linked, with a boy Chandler didn't know, and another of her, smiling, and hanging out with Ross, a slight bulge to her stomach.

"What happened to her?"

"Look carefully at the last picture," Ross insisted.

Chandler studied it carefully, before really realizing what the bulge meant.

"She was pregnant?"

"Yeah. That guy in the second to last picture? Got her knocked up after a dance. His name was Richard. When he found out he was going to be a father, he killed himself. That was the day after the last photo. Monica didn't love him- but was devastated anyway. She ran away from home. We have no idea if she's still alive."

"She'd be 18 now," Chandler murmured, staring at the photo.

"Yeah. 18, going to college, her whole life ahead of her- but now she's probably sitting in a dump, a toddler in her arms, trying to earn a living. If she's still alive, that is. She hasn't contacted us, and my parents have looked everywhere for her. It's a true shame- she was so smart. And talented- what she could do with food! She wanted to be a cook or a chef… but now she isn't. I don't like talking about her, though."

"She's so beautiful," Chandler murmured, staring at the picture while entranced, "and she does look smart. And popular."

"She had a lot of friends. Isn't that how it always happens? A girl, beautiful, smart, would-have-been-voted most likely to succeed… and then everything ends. With one stupid night."

"Have you tried everything?" Chandler asked, still in awe of the girl.

"Yeah. Everything. Everything and anything."

"I'm so sorry, man. Here, let's go downstairs and watch a movie," Chandler sighed, wanting to drop the subject of Monica Geller as well.

* * *

But she seemed to follow him. The beautiful, smiling girl staring up at her from the pictures, no clue that her life would be wasted thanks to some guy. It was crazy. It was loco!

So Chandler fell in love with a woman, probably dead, from a photo. Still, he knew somewhere deep down that Monica was still alive. And he was going to find her.

When Chandler closed his eyes, he saw one of the photos every night until he graduated from college.

Somehow, he knew, it was time.

(658 Words) Ah, a quest!


End file.
